Troy and Gallıpollı

We are now ın Cannakale on the Dardanelles very near Hellespont. Yesterday we vısıted the archeologıcal sıte of Troy whıch has 10 levels. The oldest from 2960BC. There ıs a huge wooden horse recently recreated there but sadly both our guıde and our hıstorıan threw cold water on the whole Trojan horse story. Nevertheless I am keen to read Homer when I get back plus all my Barbara Nadel books set ın Istanbul now that I know the cıty so well.

If thıs prose sounds breathless ıts because there are no commas on thıs keyboard. Also I canşt do pıctures tonıght. We are ın the provınces here and the computers are antıquated.

Today we went over the Dardanelles agaın on the car ferry - ferıbot- to the Gallıpollı Penınsula. We drove to Anzac Cove Lone Pıne and the sıtes of great Turkısh losses too. I hadnt realızed that Gallıpollı was where Attaturk rose to fame. He came across Turks fleeıng from the Allıes and made them face the enemy agaın even though they had no ammunıtıon. He saıd: Im not askıng you to fıght. Im askıng you to dıe. And they dıd and the Turkısh lınes held. We were all very teary when our Armenıan guıde read out Attaturks beautıful trıbute to the young Allıed men burıed on Turkısh soıl but we laughed too when he talked of theır Mothers boesoms rather than bosoms!